Level 1

111 points

MacBook Pro having frequent CPU spikes

I have an early 2011 MacBook Pro that is having frequent spikes in CPU use (usually kernel_task). It doesn't seem to be caused by specific software and is cleared by just putting it to sleep for a minute. It is constantly happening, though, and driving me crazy.

I've replaced the battery, replaced the hard-drive (with a SSD), and upgraded the RAM. No change. I'm running El Capitan with a clean install, but the issue happens with a clean install of Yosemite, too.

Apple Hardware Test just reports an error on the battery (4xxx/4/40000005: G "Battery") but I think that's just because it is a 3rd party battery. It's working fine.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

The Sytem CPU otherwise runs at about 1%, but here is an EtreCheck report that was run with the spiked CPU (kernel_task at 623%):

EtreCheck version: 2.6.4 (224)

Report generated 12/12/2015, 12:57 PM

Runtime 13:23

Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

Hardware Information: (What does this mean?)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)

[Click for Technical Specifications]

[Click for User Guide]

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,2

1 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core

16 GB RAM Upgradeable

[Click for upgrade instructions]

BANK 0/DIMM0

8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 5 - SN = W00030C0L77ZC

Video Information: (What does this mean?)

Intel HD Graphics 3000

AMD Radeon HD 6750M - VRAM: 1024 MB

Color LCD 1680 x 1050

LED Cinema Display 2560 x 1440

System Software: (What does this mean?)

OS X El Capitan 10.11.2 (15C50) - Time since boot: about 3 days

Disk Information: (What does this mean?)

Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB disk0 : (1 TB) (Solid State - TRIM: No)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

SSD (disk1) / : 998.97 GB (774.31 GB free)

Core Storage: disk0s2 999.35 GB Online

MATSHITADVD-R UJ-898 ()

USB Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

GenesysLogic USB2.0 Hub 2 TB

Western Digital Ext HDD 1021 2 TB

EFI (disk3s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Ext Backup (disk3s2) /Volumes/Ext Backup : 2.00 TB (74.61 GB free)

Apple Inc. Keyboard Hub

Apple Inc. Apple Keyboard

Seagate Expansion Desk 4 TB

EFI (disk2s1) <not mounted> : 315 MB

M4TB (disk2s2) /Volumes/M4TB : 4.00 TB (749.55 GB free)

Apple Inc. Apple LED Cinema Display

Apple Inc. Display iSight

Apple Inc. Display Audio

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Thunderbolt Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Gatekeeper: (What does this mean?)

Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions: (What does this mean?)

/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.FTDI.driver.D2XXHelper (1 - SDK 10.11) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.wacom.kext.wacomtablet (6.3.15 - SDK 10.11) [Click for support]

Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.wacom.wacomtablet.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.prey.agent.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.wacom.displayhelper.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: (What does this mean?)

iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

Other Apps: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.etresoft.EtreCheck.200992

[running] com.wacom.TabletDriver.179552

[running] com.wacom.WacomTouchDriver.178912

[loaded] fm.last.Scrobbler.168352

[loaded] org.videolan.vlc.182432

Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

Default Browser: Version: 601 - SDK 10.11

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

WacomTabletPlugin: Version: WacomTabletPlugin 2.1.0.6 - SDK 10.9 [Click for support]

3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)

WacomTablet [Click for support]

Time Machine: (What does this mean?)

Time Machine not configured!

Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)

623% kernel_task

20% UserEventAgent(2)

9% WindowServer

0% askpermissiond

Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)

1.12 GB kernel_task

475 MB softwareupdated

410 MB mds_stores

213 MB Console

197 MB Finder

Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)

8.94 GB Free RAM

7.05 GB Used RAM (9.46 GB Cached)

0 B Swap Used

Posted on Dec 11, 2015 6:34 PM

48 replies

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 13, 2015 7:22 PM in response to my ginger

my ginger wrote:

According to the way he wrote the post. You had to do it in exactly the order he put it.

I did it in order. You can't repair permissions in El Capitan (the post is for Yosemite) but I still ran Disk Utility over the drive.

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 13, 2015 8:01 PM in response to my ginger

Didn't help. Just spike again.

The following is from Console:

14/12/2015 2:50:24.681 PM Spotlight[284]: XPC connection was invalidated

14/12/2015 2:50:24.870 PM Spotlight[284]: XPC connection was invalidated

14/12/2015 2:50:25.012 PM Spotlight[284]: XPC connection was invalidated

14/12/2015 2:50:25.198 PM Spotlight[284]: XPC connection was invalidated

14/12/2015 2:50:26.069 PM locationd[81]: NETWORK: requery, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, items, fQueryRetries, 0, fLastRetryTimestamp, 0.0

14/12/2015 2:50:27.577 PM coreduetd[69]: LaunchServices: received XPC_ERROR_CONNECTION_INVALID trying to map database

14/12/2015 2:50:27.577 PM coreduetd[69]: LaunchServices: Database mapping failed with result -10822, retrying

14/12/2015 2:50:27.578 PM coreduetd[69]: LaunchServices: received XPC_ERROR_CONNECTION_INVALID trying to map database

14/12/2015 2:50:27.601 PM coreduetd[69]: LaunchServices: disconnect event received for service com.apple.lsd.mapdb

14/12/2015 2:50:27.684 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny mach-lookup com.apple.lsd.mapdb

14/12/2015 2:50:27.743 PM coreduetd[69]: Error -54 registering path /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle

14/12/2015 2:50:27.745 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny file-read-data /private/var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/0/com.apple.LaunchServic es-1340.csstore

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/App Store.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Automator.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Calculator.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Calendar.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Chess.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Contacts.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Dashboard.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Dictionary.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/DVD Player.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/FaceTime.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Font Book.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Game Center.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Image Capture.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/iTunes.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Launchpad.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Mail.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Messages.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Mission Control.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Notes.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Photo Booth.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Preview.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Photos.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/QuickTime Player.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Reminders.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Safari.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Stickies.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/System Preferences.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/TextEdit.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Time Machine.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Audio MIDI Setup.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Bluetooth File Exchange.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/ColorSync Utility.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Console.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Digital Color Meter.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Grab.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Grapher.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Migration Assistant.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Script Editor.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/System Information.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /Applications/Utilities/VoiceOver Utility.app

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:27.000 PM kernel[0]: Sandbox: coreduetd(69) deny(1) mach-lookup com.apple.lsd.modifydb

14/12/2015 2:50:27.831 PM coreduetd[69]: LaunchServices: disconnect event received for service com.apple.lsd.modifydb

14/12/2015 2:50:27.835 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny ipc-posix-shm-read-data /tmp/com.apple.csseed.130

14/12/2015 2:50:27.984 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:28.008 PM Console[562]: Failed to connect (_consoleX) outlet from (NSApplication) to (ConsoleX): missing setter or instance variable

14/12/2015 2:50:28.040 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:28.113 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:28.159 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:28.207 PM sandboxd[148]: ([69]) coreduetd(69) deny file-read-metadata /

14/12/2015 2:50:44.737 PM SpotlightNetHelper[354]: tcp_connection_tls_session_error_callback_imp 16 __tcp_connection_tls_session_callback_write_block_invoke.434 error 22

14/12/2015 2:50:44.738 PM SpotlightNetHelper[354]: tcp_connection_tls_session_error_callback_imp 15 __tcp_connection_tls_session_callback_write_block_invoke.434 error 22

14/12/2015 2:50:59.622 PM apsd[76]: MessageTracer: load_domain_prefix_whitelist:120: Missing default whitelist file: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CrashReporterSupport.framework/Resources/Subm itDiagInfo.default.domains

14/12/2015 2:51:10.476 PM apsd[76]: MessageTracer: load_domain_prefix_whitelist:120: Missing default whitelist file: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CrashReporterSupport.framework/Resources/Subm itDiagInfo.default.domains

14/12/2015 2:51:24.710 PM apsd[76]: MessageTracer: load_domain_prefix_whitelist:120: Missing default whitelist file: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CrashReporterSupport.framework/Resources/Subm itDiagInfo.default.domains

14/12/2015 2:51:42.528 PM apsd[76]: MessageTracer: load_domain_prefix_whitelist:120: Missing default whitelist file: /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CrashReporterSupport.framework/Resources/Subm itDiagInfo.default.domains

14/12/2015 2:52:22.140 PM Google Chrome Helper[577]: CGAffineTransformInvert: singular matrix.

14/12/2015 2:52:22.881 PM Google Chrome Helper[577]: CGAffineTransformInvert: singular matrix.

14/12/2015 2:53:02.000 PM syslogd[44]: ASL Sender Statistics

my ginger

Level 5

4,948 points

Dec 13, 2015 8:40 PM in response to Trephination

You have to repair permissions in terminal from the command line in El Capitan. http://lifehacker.com/verify-and-repair-permissions-from-the-command-line-in-174 171866

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 13, 2015 9:43 PM in response to my ginger

Ah, thanks. I've gone through all the steps again.

Your link is broken, by the way, for anyone else this may help, it should be:

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/11/verify-and-repair-permissions-from-the-comm and-line-in-os-x-el-capitan/

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 14, 2015 11:54 AM in response to my ginger

No good. It was OK for a while, but when woken from sleep the kernel_task was about 800%.

my ginger

Level 5

4,948 points

Dec 14, 2015 3:51 PM in response to Trephination

Could you post a pic of you activity monitor when the cpu is high. Using cpu all processes. What I found is that most all the other processes in the root on the activity monitor when added up equal the value in the kernel task. Try doing it with only safari open.

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 14, 2015 6:00 PM in response to my ginger

my ginger wrote:

Could you post a pic of you activity monitor when the cpu is high. Using cpu all processes. What I found is that most all the other processes in the root on the activity monitor when added up equal the value in the kernel task. Try doing it with only safari open.

OK, will do. I've just put the old battery back in and am waiting to see what happens.

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 14, 2015 9:01 PM in response to Trephination

I'm starting to think it is the battery.

my ginger

Level 5

4,948 points

Dec 14, 2015 9:38 PM in response to Trephination

Based on what? You put the old battery back in and it runs better? No cpu spikes? What did you see in the activity monitor?

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 14, 2015 10:10 PM in response to my ginger

my ginger wrote:

Based on what? You put the old battery back in and it runs better? No cpu spikes? What did you see in the activity monitor?

Correct. I haven't got the external drives or anything plugged in, but that didn't matter before. I'll plug everything in and let it run for a while to see what happens. The system CPU is currently 1.76% or lower, kernel_task is on 2 to 3%.

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 15, 2015 7:52 PM in response to Trephination

I've been running it on the old battery (with the external monitor and drives plugged in) for about 24 hours. It's been doing a lot of memory intensive tasks (converting and compressing video, etc) and I have had zero CPU spikes. The system CPU and kernel_task are running at only a couple of percent.

Don't know why I hadn't thought of the new battery as the problem much sooner!

my ginger

Level 5

4,948 points

Dec 15, 2015 8:06 PM in response to Trephination

That's great. You going to send the battery back for a refund? I did see one post about battery and cpu, but I didn't think it was relevant. If you do buy a new battery for your computer. I would suggest looking into mac sales .com They stand behind everything they sell. http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple/Laptop/Batteries?_ga=1.124055434.164435424. 1450238623

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 16, 2015 1:38 AM in response to my ginger

Yes, I also saw a post about batteries and CPU but didn't think it was relevant either.

They are sending out a replacement battery.

Thanks for your help, my ginger.

dentarg

Level 1

4 points

Dec 20, 2015 10:41 AM in response to Trephination

Thank you Trephination, I have the exact same problem that you have had. I too suspected the battery, and it's nice to know that you have confirmed it. In my case, I had to buy a new battery, because the original one got swollen, so I haven't been able to test with it again. I will try to get hold of a new battery that works.

I too did the Apple Hardware Test, and got the same error code, 4xxx/4/40000005: G "Battery", and then I read that Macs reduce the CPU speed when not having a battery (there is a lot of threads about that, I have linked one below). Feels like the Mac is operating as the third party battery isn't here.

Can battery status "replace now" cause macbook pro to slowdown?

Trephination Author

Level 1

111 points

Dec 20, 2015 3:40 PM in response to dentarg

Thanks for that link.

My original battery was swollen (not too badly but obviously not going to improve) so I replaced it with a 3rd party battery which is what caused all my issues. Luckily I still have the original to test with.

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MacBook Pro having frequent CPU spikes